NYC: The NoMad Bar and THE Chicken Pot Pie

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Move over Marie Callender, there's a new chicken pot pie in town. The Chicken Pot Pie at the new NoMad Bar is the be-all and end-all of chicken pot pies. You already know I'm obsessed with Chef Daniel Humm ever since he cooked me the best meal of my life.

So leave it to him to win my heart again by taking my childhood favorite, a comfort food to many, and turning it into the most decadent chicken pot pie that you will ever eat. This $36 pie is Humm's newest take on the humble chicken.

Why the hell is a chicken pot pie $36 you ask? It's outfitted with truffles and foie gras, a combo that we know works since it's what makes The NoMad's roast chicken so deliciously amazing. Remember, the roast chicken that's stuffed with a foie gras, truffle and brioche stuffing under its' skin to keep the breast moist as it roasts in the oven. The taste of foie and truffle is subtle but ever-so-present in every bite of the chicken.
This Chicken Pot Pie though... the integration of foie and truffle is much more showy. Call it their bar trick, if you will. The pie comes to you by a server carrying a tray of your "pub" food while another sets it on the table for you. It comes with two sides: a spoonful of truffle butter and seared foie gras on a skewer.
Then, as you're admiring the beauty of the whole spectacle of it all...

Wait....

Did the server just break the crust on my pie!?!!?!! OMG, who breaks the crust on a person's pie?

Wow, that escalate quickly... lol. I MUST not be the only person who finds pleasure in the destruction of pristine food. The sugar crust on a creme brûlée. The yolk on a perfectly fried egg. I would have gone full on psycho on the server if he wasn't only breaking my pie to stir in the spoon of truffle butter and to add the seared foie gras.

I wanted to eat the pie more than I wanted to break the crust so I got over it. Fast.
I quickly regrouped and got my eyes back on the prize. All while taking pictures. Behold spoonfuls of perfectly roasted chicken, seared foie gras, fresh green peas and a creamy mushroomy sauce. The crust is perfectly buttery and flakey.

There was complete silence when the few of us were taking turns enjoying the pie. It didn't take us long to eat the entire thing after it cooled down a bit. Would I order the pie again? Maybe. It was seriously good. But at $36 a pie, I would have to wait some time before ordering it again.
Instead, I would easily come back to have more drinks. Everything on the cocktail list looked delicious, and every drink we tried was perfectly balanced in flavor and an essence of "mmm, never tried this taste combo before!"

I'd definitely come back to try their 8-Drink Megacocktail (That) Takes 2 Bartenders 7 Minutes to Make with a bigger group of friends. I also have been hearing great things about the carrot tartare, a dish that was made popular at Eleven Madison Park. I would love to have their burger, and also the bay scallop. Yumm!
Although there's tons of seating area in the NoMad Bar, and even an upstairs for additional seating, the entire bar was full. Apparently you can reserve a table, so I'd do that next time. For you non-planners out there, walk-ins are welcome - it's that's what we did this time. The four of us found some space on top of a fireplace and just hung out there. As long as there's a surface area for you to put food, you can order any of the food from the entire menu._________________The NoMad Bar
10 W 28th St
New York, NY 10001
b/t Broadway & 5th Ave in Flatiron